The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-20

can never r6tnTn, anu my greatest
sorrow IL that with the departure of
that system, departed the good old
race, only few remaining to the
present time, and could my most fer.
vent prayer be answered, they would
live on forever. as model types OF that
once proud race now almost extinct.
Such, then, was the condition OF the
precinct when the late war occurred,
the termination OF which left the ciu.
z,ns with nothing but their land,-
horses, mules and cattle having bt en-
taken for our own service or stolen by
the Yankees. The cotton throughout
the precinct wss burned, the people
had lsrgs number OF free negroes to
support, and, while these acted very
we'll, they did little work. At the
end Of the first year there colored PEG.
pie, having been tempered with and
instructed by q vile set OF political ad-
ventures from the North, bet anne de.
moralized and perfectly useless as Ia
borers. The people, being unsccus-
toned to work themselves, and totally
ignorant Of any way by which 10 gain
an income except from cotton, still
chung to them, and the aescy staple
then being worth abulous prices, they
had high hopes Of again making
money.
HIGH PRICES FOR C)TToN
was OF a short duration, and labor
went from bad to worse-the laborer
making politics more his business
than work. Notwithstanding ali this
the farmers managed to force the ne
groes into doing some work by stop
ping their ratiops, but the merchants
soon worked up the lien law and selling
goods to these laborers ION time" az lin
left the cotton planters without hope
The lien law existed for several " ars.
and during that time made many
lean farmers, but ct the last session 81
our legislature was repealed, ADD our
citzsns are again prospecting. Many
tons OF hay are annually produced on
the large IA ms in the Torrance Pre-
cinct and especially on the "Polk
Place." which was formerly the prop
erty Of ex-President James X. Polk,
but II Is now owned by DR.. A. A.
Bryant. There are several large
stock farms In this portion Of Yalo.
busha county and many head OF horses
are annually raised. The cattle,
owned by the citizens OF the pre-.
clnct, subsist on the small cane
which grows 10 atund nee on all the
little branches and creeks. On Turkey
Greek, only short distance from its
mouth, lie mill site where saw mill
could be erected, which would pay
handsome profits on the money in.
vested. 1t lie 80 situated that
ALL KINDS or TIMBER,
such as pine, cypress, oak, hickory,
ash, elm, poplar and gum are coBven.
lent and, after being sawed into lum
Der, can be shipped by water or rail.
road. Tee little town Of Torrance Il
situated on the Illinois Central rail-
road, mid way between % fieeville and
Grenada, and is quite fourishiDi
little place, containing seveia lars,
stores, which do q general mercantile
business. The population 10 not large
but what II lacks In numbers II more
than makes mp for In hospitality and
neishborly coed will. The population
OF the precinct Is largely predominant
In blacks, the white vote at Torrane,
being only twenty-ope. while the
blsck vote Is lt0-the whites all Dem
ocratic and the blacks Radical
The reason OF this wait difference IN
the population OF the two races ha
already been given In the fact that To,
large farms are owned bya few, ant
are all vel filed with negro tenants
Though the whites are few In number
they are % true TO the 7 inciples o
Democracy as the needle to the pole
and often remind one Of the little ban,
Of spartAns at ThermoI yae. The littl,
band. though overwhelmed year ate
year, do not arow disheartened, sn,
each election finds the twenty-one Il
position, ready and willing TO NEE
the foe, which, TO say the least, wa
not q pleasant duty In days gone by
But things are now changed, and th
Republican vots will hereafter be II
the minority, a. the negroes are no,
seeking the Democratic standard
Torrance has H. land, the water, til
timber and the climate, and her cit
Gems cordially invite all good peopl
who are seeking homes In the South
10 settle here. JUsiUs.